Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Republicans do not trust women.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

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Save the Date: Ohio Meetup on Saturday, May 17 (tentative date)

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Update:  I linked to this post in the sidebar under Meetups.

There’s an Ohio Meet-up in the works!

Planning for the long-awaited all-Ohio meet-up is underway. Columbus Queen and Ohio Mom are planning at a midday meeting in Columbus on Saturday, May 17.  (Midday can be loosely thought of as lunchtime-ish)

Columbus Queen is looking at Plank’s Bier Garden at the corner of Whittier & South High Streets in German Village south of downtown.

It’s easy to find, offers drinks as well as food, and has a covered patio and decent-sized parking lot.

Ohio Jackals, please let us know if you’ll be able to join us. If too many of you have prior commitments for that day, we can consider an alternate date.

Hope to see our fellow Buckeyes there!

Please RSVP in the comments.

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One of Our Lurkers – Hands Off! – Murphys

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These reports and images are still coming in, so I’ll be posting one a day going forward, until we run out.  Great reminders that we only lose if we don’t fight.

Some great signs sent in by …

I’m a lurker – only posted a few times as Waitingformountainlife. But I wanted to send pictures from the small very conservative town of Murphys. (We can’t get rid of our rep Tom McClintock even though he doesn’t live here).

I stole my sign from an earlier post on BJ.

Hands Off! – BJ Peeps Around the Country 6 Hands Off! – BJ Peeps Around the Country 5 Hands Off! – BJ Peeps Around the Country 4 Hands Off! – BJ Peeps Around the Country 3 Hands Off! – BJ Peeps Around the Country 1Open thread!

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Lies, Spin, Bullshit and Misdirection (brought to you by FFOTUS and company)

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Lying about polls (or anything else). Who would have guessed it?  Altogether now: All. of. Us.

Dan Pfeiffer on Message Box

Well, when White Houses and campaigns cite private polling, you have to read fine print very carefully. Here’s what Dasha Burns reported:

It shows the tariffs strategy is playing well among working-class voters who agree with Trump that other nations have taken advantage of the U.S

The key phrase here is “among working-class voters who agree with Trump that other nations have taken advantage of the U.S.” That is not working class voters as the report suggests. It’s a small subset of voters who are almost certainly very pro-Trump. So, what the White House is saying is that the tariffs are playing well with Trump’s biggest supporters.

Well, no shit. Of course, they are.

What matters is how persuadable or soft Trump voters feel about the tariffs. These are the voters who will decide the midterms. The fact that the White House had to slice the salami so thin to find a poll result that seems positive tells you everything you need to know about the terrible politics of Trump’s tariffs.

Now for some real polls.

I wrote about the polling on tariffs as recently as this past weekend. But since that post, we have new, more updated polling that is even more devastating for Trump. Yesterday morning, within an hour of the Politico report, Navigator Research released a new poll conducted after Trump’s tariff announcement and amid the ensuing market turmoil.

According to the survey, Trump’s approval rating is down to 44 percent and his economic approval is at it’s lowest level since Navigator started polling in 2018.

Lies, Spin, Bullshit and Misdirection (brought to you by FFOTUS and company)

In terms of both overall and economic approval, Trump has seen significant drops since last month. In case you are wondering whether this is from the tariffs or one of Trump’s many other recent flubs and scandals, the polling is crystal clear on that point as well. Respondents report hearing significantly more negative news about Trump in the last month, and almost all of that negative information is about tariffs, specifically.

In a time when information overload is a real thing, I can still recommend Dan Pfeiffer as a great source.

Any good news to share, along with the bad?  We need to pay attention to both or we’ll burn out.

Open thread.

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Small Things (Open Thread)

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First up, I need to issue a correction to a post from yesterday, in which I misgendered a hummingbird! Thanks to commenters Elie and Greg for setting me straight, and apologies to the wee birdie for the error.

***

The Horrors are proceeding apace. On the economic front, CNBC says China will impose an 84% retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods starting tomorrow. Walmart yanked its quarterly operating income forecast, citing Trump’s tariffs.

Here’s a small “sir” story from a demented blowhard in a cotton candy helmet:

Trump: I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up kissing my ass. They are. They are dying to make a deal.

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 8:28 PM

Here’s a small man worried about his own reelection:

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on tariff strategy: “Whose throat do I get to choke if this proves to be wrong?”

U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer: “Well, Senator, you can certainly always talk to me…I’m at the tip of the spear…I would push back just a little bit on this.”

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— C-SPAN (@c-span.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 1:00 PM

A small reminder: Republicans could stop this right now, today.

It’s small comfort, but at least there’s no ambiguity about who’s responsible for killing the U.S. economy. His orange fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, and his accomplices have R’s after their names and rings of Cheeto dust around their lips.

Open thread.

Small Things (Open Thread)Post + Comments (194)

War for Ukraine Day 1,139: Who Ordered the Chinese Take Out?

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The cost:

Zelensky and the Prime Minister of Belgium honored the memory of Ukrainian defenders in Kyiv.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 6:50 AM

The Ukrainians captured two Chinese Soldiers. From the reporting it is unclear if they killed the four others or they got away.

During a battle in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian defenders captured two Chinese servicemembers who were fighting as part of the Russian army. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this during a meeting with media representatives.

“We captured Chinese servicemembers on Ukrainian territory. Ukrainians engaged in combat with six Chinese servicemembers in the Donetsk region – in Tarasivka and Bilohorivka. Two were taken prisoner. Accordingly, their identification documents, passports, and even their credit cards were found in their possession. These are Chinese citizens,” the Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that he had instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense to contact China for clarification.

“This is yet another country providing military support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Another after Iran and after North Korean troops. But there is a difference: North Koreans fought against us in the Kursk direction, while the Chinese are fighting on Ukrainian territory. I think this is an important issue that we need to discuss with our partners,” the President emphasized.

The captured Chinese citizens are now in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine. Relevant investigative and operational actions are ongoing.

The war will continue to rise in intensity and expand in geography until the West supplies democratic Ukraine with full military support so that it can defeat fascist Russia more quickly.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Ukrainian troops have captured two Chinese nationals who were fighting in the ranks of the Russian military against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 8.

“We have information that there are much more than two such Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units,” Zelensky said. “We have the documents of these prisoners, bank cards, personal data.”

Ukrainian troops clashed with six Chinese soldiers near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in Donetsk Oblast, according to the president.

The two captured are being held by Ukraine’s Security Service, according to Zelensky. He instructed Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to urgently contact Beijing to determine how Chinese officials will respond.

Sybiha said that Ukraine had summoned China’s charge d’affaires to express condemnation and demand an explanation regarding the matter.

“Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China’s declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing’s credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council,” the minister posted on X.

Zelensky emphasized the apparent recruitment of Chinese nationals — whether direct or indirect — highlights the Kremlin’s commitment to continuing its aggression.

“We definitely need a reaction to this. A reaction from the United States, Europe and everyone in the world who wants peace,” he said.

Zelensky added that China is another country, along with Iran and North Korea, that supports Russia in its war against Ukraine.

“But there is a difference: the North Koreans fought against us in the Kursk direction, the Chinese are fighting on the territory of Ukraine,” the president said at a press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever.

Today’s capture of Chinese troops deep in Ukraine is just part of another worrying trend which Europeans still fail to grasp.

Here’s more Chinese troops in Eastern Ukraine a few weeks ago, from Russian channels.

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— Jay in Kyiv (@jayinkyiv.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 9:06 AM

“I understand that we are a strong country, but we cannot fight multiple countries at once, each wanting something from our land.” – Zelensky.
t.me/c/1377735387…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 10:22 AM

President Zelenskyy met with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever today. There is no address to the Ukrainian people, but here is their joint press conference:

show full post on front page

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something fabulous – Hands Off! – LA!

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Though one of the local mini-marches gathered literally at my street corner, I went instead downtown with a friend. So glad I did! Heartened by the size, snark, and determination of our crowd. Some pix, to give a feel of big blue city protest, west side style! No counter protests that I saw. And only one like, anarchist-looking-we’re-all-too-bougie-for-him [of course a HIM]-from-the-left person along the route: so sad he gathered NO interest :). Inspired me to look for and join whatever is next!

something fabulous - Hands Off! – LA! 5

this lady had both sign and hat on point.

something fabulous – Hands Off! – LA!Post + Comments (11)

If You Are Feeling Like I am, I Recommend Injecting Maxwell Frost Into Your Veins

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I really needed Maxwell Frost today, perhaps you do, too?

Rising star Democrat @maxwellfrost.bsky.social just outlined the two things we need to do to stop authoritarianism. Watch:

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— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards.bsky.social) April 7, 2025 at 8:51 PM

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Elon was finally right about something!

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— Maxwell Frost (@maxwellfrost.bsky.social) April 6, 2025 at 11:18 AM

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Rep. Maxwell Frost: If we are quiet, if elected officials are quiet, then we are complicit. We cannot be complicit in the tearing apart of Medicaid, of Social Security, of food stamps and nutritional assistance, of the things that we fought for and earned! #HandsOff @frost.house.gov

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— Social Security Works (@socialsecurityworks.org) April 5, 2025 at 4:50 PM

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Rep. Maxwell Frost: “They test the bounds. They push the limits. They break the law. And then they look at the public, to see if they’re quiet or if they’re loud.” 🗣️

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— NextGen America (@nextgenamerica.bsky.social) April 5, 2025 at 12:28 PM

Youth.  Energy.  Passion.  Hope.

Open thread.

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